With Halloween upon us, today's Thoughtful Thursday poems are appropriately unsettling and haunting. They are written by well known African American poets, Jean Toomer (1894-1967) and Claude McKay (1889-1948). Enjoy. Reapers Black reapers with the sound of steel on stones Are sharpening scythes. I see them place the hones In their hip-pockets as a thing that’s done, And start [...]
It is Back To School with Thoughtful Thursday! Today's offering includes two favorites: "School", which describes a school day all too familiar to parents of boys, and "Who Has Seen The Wind", a classic that introduces youngsters to the mysteries of science. Science is also the topic of the poem "Astromony Lesson" in which two brothers step away from [...]
The young men and women entering college this year were in kindergarten on September 11, 2001. This means that many of our children have limited to no personal recollection of the horrific events of that day. One of the phrases most frequently quoted in reference to 9/11 is "Never Forget". But how do we make sure our school aged [...]
The leisurely days of summer may give us more opportunities to read aloud with our sons and daughters. Today's Thoughtful Thursday presents classic poems, good for our children to know and even be able to recite. This summer, why not incorporate some poetry discussion and memorization into your reading time with your son? Or challenge him to memorize one [...]
As each day seems to bring new stories of tragedies around the world, today's Thoughtful Thursday offers us thoughts of hope. Enjoy. “Hope” is the Thing with Feathers “Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all - And sweetest - [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday celebrates women. Women of all ages. While we at GCP are generally focused on mothers, today we celebrate all women: Grandmothers, Mothers, Sisters, Aunts, Girlfriends. The village of women. Let these mighty words and the images they evoke lift you up and give you the strength and energy to do all that you want and need [...]
Greetings from France! GCP is on the road this week, with limited access to the blog, but we don't want to miss the chance to share a Thoughtful Thursday. Today's Thoughtful Thursday celebrates vacations, with poems from three very well-known American poets. From Robert Frost comes "The Road Less Traveled", which we include here to reflect on the joys [...]
Earlier this week the American Academy of Pediatrics announced a policy recommending that pediatricians tell parents to read aloud to their infants from birth. In support of this new policy, today's Thoughtful Thursday celebrates the pleasures of reading. Hope these poems inspire you to read with your sons (whatever their age). Enjoy. There is no Frigate like a Book [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday pays tribute to the gifted and beautiful actress, writer and activist Ruby Dee (October 27, 1922 – June 11, 2014). Here are a few favorite Ruby Dee quotes. Enjoy. • The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within -- strength, courage, dignity. • God, make me so uncomfortable that [...]
With Father's Day coming up on Sunday, today's Thoughtful Thursday pays tribute to dads. In "Only a Dad" Edward Albert Guest pays tribute to all of the fathers who work hard to support the families who love them. Martin Espada describes witnessing his father's bravery as a child in "The Sign in My Father's Hands". Li-Young Lee passes on [...]